Contractor working through Athy lighting fault backlog

Further details of the reasons behind public lighting issues in Athy have been revealed by Kildare Co Council.

At September’s meeting of Athy Municipal District, cllr Brian Dooley asked the local authority to explain why streetlights on Duke Street haven’t been fixed for over three months.

Duke Street was one of the areas also flagged by the MD’s Cathaoirleach, cllr Aoife Breslin, alongside Greenhills, Townspark, and Carbury Park.

‘When the new public lighting maintenance contractor started to work on July 15th, they inherited a backlog of 464 faults,’ a report explained. 

'Electricity Supply Board (ESB) also requires that electricians be audited before they are allowed to work on ESB network poles. Newly appointed electricians must spend at least six months with their employer before they can attend a course which will enable them to work on the ESB Network lights. The contractor has made progress, with active faults now reduced to 313.’ 

Cllr Dooley told the meeting that Duke Street has been “blacked out” for the summer, adding that it’s the main artery of the town and he’s getting a lot of complaints.

He asked that the area be prioritised as quickly as possible.

The lighting issue on Duke Street was highlighted recently by this paper – at that time, Senator Mark Wall said he has been contacted by “a lot of people who work late in Athy, they’re doing deliveries, they’re working in the local pubs etc, and they’re walking that street say at one in the morning or after 12 anyway, and they have fears and it’s rightly so.

“There’s three lights out and it is extremely, extremely dark on that street.” 

Cllr Breslin, meanwhile, said regarding Greenhills that in the last two years she has reported the lights maybe six times for not working. She asked that it be looked at.